Bab 8: Chapter 6: The opportunity
In a gold palace a boy around the age of 15 slowly lowered to the ground before coming back up. The process repeated infinitely as the boy continued to do push ups. There was no number spoken, no sound made, just the small creak of his bones as his muscles rippled back and forth.
Pressing down on his body was a pressure; a pressure released by the only person watching him. This pressure did one thing and one thing alone, make his body heavy. Though it couldn't be seen the amount of gravity that was currently pressing down on the boy's body was immense. Sweat was glistening on his bare body as he went about his task. His breath while laboured was restrained as much as it could.
When would he stop the exercise?
Well, if the boy was asked, he would of course reply that he would only stop when his goddess told him to.
He had already been doing the same exercise for the last 3 hours and wouldn't stop until told. Did the exercise have to go that long, no it didn't, but Ishtar was making him do this exercise for a specific reason.
She wanted to see his form ripple. Though his form was a bit young for her liking, watching the male form exercise and his muscles move back and forth was something she undeniably wanted to watch.
She would get him to do squats soon, maybe a horse stance and any other exercise that she wanted. It was all part of the boy's routine. This consisted of him listening to what Ishtar says and then doing it; education, exercise, puzzles, games, tasks, sleep; everything.
The years for the goddess have moved quickly, too quickly really. The boy that she had decided to spare all those years ago had already become a teenager. The skinny body that he had arrived with had already been melded to her liking.
The eye candy was a nice change of pace for the lonely goddess.
She was still a little disappointed though that the boy, having bene educated to a certain degree still hadn't reached the rebellious stage. She really was looking forward to it.
Ishtar was hoping that it would maybe start when he reached his mid 20's, his growth in her opinion was stunted, mentally that was. Physically he was already in his prime, if a bit immature. The marks from his past still lingered on his body, though most weren't too overt or noticeable, a small scare here and there on his back, legs and lower body.
Ishtar with her power could have easily removed such blemishes to his skin, but she thought it gave the boy character, one that pointed towards a rougher personality than the boy had. Though he had been melded by the goddess for the last few years, the submissive personality of his had not disappeared yet.
If anything in front of Ishtar the boy could possibly be more submissive, especially after he had been saved and brought up by her. There was a worship behind his eyes that went beyond anything healthy, which Ishtar did nothing to dissuade or change.
"It was only natural for a son to worship their mother"
Those were Ishtar's thoughts, though she never said it outloud. She hadn't actually made the boy her son even after all this time. Though it was a nice thought to raise him as such, she did not verbally refer to him as such. Because of this the Boy was told to refer to her as Goddess or Ishtar when she was feeling nice.
From an outside perspective this was of course not a healthy relationship between the two, but then they were never meant to be equals in their relationship. Ishtar was the one in control.
"You can stop now."
Her bell like voice reverberated in the room as she let the boy rest. The boy said nothing as he slowly stopped and then got up from the ground. His chest rose and fell from the exertion, but he said nothing else and waited for another order as he recovered.
But Ishtar noticed something else in the boy as he stood before her, something he hadn't seen before.
The boy was nervous.
She could see it in the way his eyes would look in her direction and quickly shift away, his eyes snapping towards the one possession that he had arrived with.
Ishtar was only able to notice so quickly because she would usually catch the boy looking in her direction with something akin to worship. She liked the feeling of someone worshiping her. She had been the 'Queen of heavens' and leader of her pantheon, it was... nostalgic.
"What is it?"
Ishtar was direct, she didn't want to dance around the subject and if she was being honest, she wanted to know why the boy was nervous. If he wanted to ask for something she could use her powers to create anything.
The only 'wish' she couldn't grant would be freedom, she wouldn't be letting her new entertainment go.
But more importantly, this might be the first time the boy had ever asked her something. In education he would just listen to her words as if they were divine teachings, he never questioned her.
"G-g-goddess."
She could tell that the boy was surprised, even more nervous now at her words. His eyes kept darting back and forth, to the silver case that was off to the side.
Let it not be said that Ishtar was a generous goddess, she had given the boy a small amount of privacy in her temple. This mainly consisted of her not reading his mind for every memory he had before he arrived, and she had not touched the case he had arrived with.
She was even generous enough to not spy on the boy when he would open the case. He would do that every now and then, after one of her lessons or just before he went to bed. He would open the case and look at what was inside.
That was one of the first times she had ever seen emotion cross his face as he looked at what was inside. But even though that had been interesting at the time, she had not actively spread her senses to see what was inside.
Now that Ishtar thought about it, she noticed that the frequency that the boy would open the case had been growing every year, especially over the last few months. Narrowing her eyes slightly, she didn't wait for the boy to pluck his courage in response and clicked her fingers.
It was more of a signal for the boy that she had used her powers, than anything else, but it did draw his nervous attention.
"I know it has to do with this case, come forward and speak clearly like I taught you."
With the case appearing before the boy his nervousness only increased, but in a sight that made Ishtar smile, the boy's eyes turned determined as he picked up the case before him and moved forwards to meet her.
'Was he finally about to hit his rebellious stage?'
Ishtar could only hope as the boy slowly climbed the golden stairs leading to her Daise.
Lounging in front of him in her favourite garbs Ishtar raised a single eyebrow as the boy knelt before her, his voice slightly shaky as he placed the case at his knees.
"The most beautiful goddess Ishtar, this lowly slave wishes your favour."
The words were trained into the boy by herself and though his execution left a little to be desired, her smile still grew as she responded.
"Your goddess is feeling merciful today, state your favour so that I may consider."
Taking what little courage the boy had, his throat bobbed in nervousness as he reached down and slowly undid the clasp of the case. Not knowing what was inside, Ishtar, though looking uninterested before the boy, did lean forward slightly.
As the top of the case rose Ishtar furrowed her brows in confusion at what she saw. In a beautiful satin and cushioned case sat a red set of chess pieces. Thankfully she had learned about the game while 'he' was still around and could recognize the pieces. Though they were expertly crafted, she was quick to notice that the pieces were broken, cracks showing multiple breaks.
Her attention was diverted before she could look at the pieces closer, as the boy's hand slowly reached down for the Queen piece. The head of the queen piece was completely snapped off, with both halves showing signs of cracks throughout.
The boy's hand slowly... gently picked up both pieces trying to keep them together the best he could as he raised it towards Ishtar, an offering. Hands raised; head dipped.
A sentence, one that hadn't made sense at the time; but had become clearer over the years as he learnt more and felt knew things, sprang to the boy's mind.
"These are yours and yours alone. In the future use them for those you love."
It was maybe the only time someone had tried to be 'kind' to the boy before he arrived here, and he had kept those words in his heart as he grew stronger and learnt more.
With his head dipped a feeling that had been growing over the last few years but had been hidden because of his fears, reared its head.
It was a hope, a dream, an impossibility that came with the knowledge he now had, but something he now craved for above all else.
He Hoped that the next words out of his mouth would be accepted.
Though his voice was small, his words were steady as he begged.... pleaded... prayed from the depths of his soul for something he had never had before...
"Please Goddess Ishtar, most benevolent queen of the heavens, strongest and most beautiful, will you be my mother?"
...Family.
Ishtar was stunned at the words.
For the first time since she had taken the child in, she was without words.
She could hear the plea in the boy's voice, the desperate need that was hidden under his words, the desperation of the soul for something it had never had but thought it had found in Ishtar herself.
In her stunned state Ishtar on auto pilot reached out both her jade hands as she reached over and grasped the queen piece in her hands. Her stunned mind once again distracted as she now held the piece.
Her eyes glanced down, as the boy continued to wait for her response, and locked on to the piece, the magic within instantly noticed.
Ishtar's mind began to work a mile a minute as an idea sported in her mind, new thoughts and theories appeared in her mind as she quickly started to decipher the complexity of the piece before her.
Her eyes shone brightly for the first time in millennia as a plan began to form, the boy before her changing from entertainment... to something more.
'This will require a complete change in how I've been molding him. But any chance to leave here..."
Ishtar smiled brightly as she starred at the nervous boy before her.
Rising slowly from her Daise, Ishtar gently lowered herself and wrapped her arms around the boy in front of her, pulling him up so he could see her shinning smile. In his daze she spoke softly.
"Of course child, I will be you mother..."
The boy's eyes started to water as his request was approved, he wanted to prostrate himself again at the goddesses' feet to thank her for her benevolence but the arms under his armpits stopped him. Ishtar knew what he wanted to do, but stopped him, her smile only getting wider at his confusion.
"...But you will also be so much more..."
While confused the boy said nothing. He just waited for what she had to say next. The feeling of finally having a family bringing a warmth to his chest that he had never felt before.
He knew he didn't want to lose this feeling.
Notes: I just want to put right here, that yes the MC is basically a puppet for Ishtar in this chapter. For those that don't like this development, what else do you expect from a goddess who doesn't really care about a boy and is just raising them for entertainment? Cold hearted, but they are a god that shouldn't really care about mortals and morals, or anything that doesn't suit her needs.
This will obviously change if his importance grows to her (Wink).
I wonder what could be so special about the evil pieces to Ishtar? Could it possibly help her with some predicament she faces?? Who knows?
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Zevren
Zevren www. pat reon .com / Zevrensden
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